Here’s to a Wonderful Summertime!

I clearly remember that time I was checking the web and found the website of World Youth Alliance. Feeling curious, I read through the pages and it sparked my interest just after minutes I opened it.

Knowing that WYA Asia Pacific will hold it’s 11th Asia Pacific Summer Camp, I applied without any hesitation. After going through two application phases, I received an email saying that I got accepted and I could not be more excited!

I arrived in Manila and everything was quite similar to my country. Our summer home was Bamboo Beach Lodge in Puerto Galera, where arrived there after an hour and a half of sea travel from Batangas. The minute I got there, I felt very, very nervous since it’s the first day of the camp.

But who knew that here, I would find my new family.

Team Solidarity

There’s no word that able to describe my experience here in this summer camp, but what I know for sure, each page of the Certified Training Program (CTP) Manual, every hour we spent on our plenary discussion and essay writing, each moment we shared, all the friends we made in a very short period of time, have taught me so much that I could not possibly get in any other places.

The WYAAP Summer Camp was absolutely not a typical camp. We were taught to retain and comprehend the information provided by so many brilliant readings, by some well-known authors. Truth be told, it’s not easy since there’s a lot to read and it’s all heavy readings, but as I read more and more, I gained a deeper understanding of the idea of human dignity, and why it is important for us to fight for it.

What made me happier throughout this camp was the palpable energy that surrounded us, a sort of spirit that permeated every every discussion, every camper, every facilitator, and every activity, especially the ones that aim to strengthen our solidarity and tighten our friendship (the amazing race, excursion, movie night and solidarity night of course!).

Special thanks to our lovely facilitators that did an extraordinary job making us feel comfortable and welcomed!

So, here’s to the learnings that has broadened my horizons.
Here’s to the amazing people that have surprised and inspired me in so many ways.
Here’s to the sound of the crashing waves, the refreshing air, the energy, and the vivid memories.
Here’s to my WYA family that has brought me so much joy.

Here’s to our unforgettable days and hopefully more to come!

WYAAP Summer Camp 2017 Graduates

Written by Valda Nurul Izah, a WYA certified member, and 2017 Summer Camp graduate from Indonesia.